Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

Carrabassett Valley bridge builders on tight schedule

Builders planning long hours to meet Tuesday deadline

By David Robinson drobinson@onlinesentinel.com
Staff Writer, Morning Sentinel

CARRABASSETT VALLEY -- Construction workers plan to work from sunrise to sunset every day until two temporary bridges are finished on Route 27 in Carrabassett Valley.

click image to enlarge

GOING UP: Reed & Reed General Contractors begin the process of building a temporary bridge over Brackett Brook on Route 27 in Carrabassett Valley on Thursday.

Staff photo by Michael G. Seamans

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Reed & Reed Inc. mobilized a fleet of heavy equipment and about 24 employees earlier this week to reopen the section of highway, closed since Tropical Storm Irene washed away two bridges Sunday afternoon.

The construction company from Woolwich is trying to meet a Tuesday deadline set by the Maine Department of Transportation, which has fast-tracked the project because of concerns about the emergency storm repairs, according to Rocky Copp, transportation manager for the company.

One of the biggest issues is how residents north of the collapsed bridges have been separated from emergency services in Carrabassett Valley, the northern Franklin County town that provides first-responder duties for the affected communities, according to police Chief Scott Nichols.

No emergency 911 calls have faced the problem yet, and there are plans in place to provide emergency services until the temporary bridges are finished, Nichols said.

State police and the Franklin County sheriff have dedicated patrols to cover Stratton and other affected communities during the busy Labor Day weekend, he said.

NorthStar Ambulance service is covering the affected communities from its station in Rangeley, which adds about five minutes to the response time, but still relies on LifeFlight helicopters for extreme emergency situations, according to David Robie, director for the ambulance service.

The project's emergency nature and extremely tight deadline make it unique for the contractor, despite the company's vast experience in building the temporary structures, according to Copp.

"It's something that we do often, it's kind of our forte, but we typically don't have to build two bridges in seven days," he said.

The company frequently uses the temporary bridges to keep roads open while permanent bridges are built, and the project on Route 27 is being completed faster than usual by sending more equipment and working longer hours, Copp said.

Basically every other type of construction equipment, including three cranes, has been moved to the site from across the state, according to Copp. He said the company rented additional trucks to get more supplies there quicker.

"We are going to work very long hours, work over the holiday weekend from sunup to sundown, every day until we get these (temporary bridges) open," Copp said.

The project will reopen the section of highway to all traffic, including commercial vehicles, and it was awarded through a fast-tracked contracting method that allowed it to forgo the public bidding process.

Permanent bridges are expected to be built by Nov. 18 over the Carrabassett River and Brackett Brook. The cost for both projects is still being negotiated, according to the Maine Department of Transportation.

Nichols praised the speed at which the project has come together to shorten the impact on emergency services.

"I've never seen an operation come together so quickly," he said.

There is also a 100-foot aluminum footbridge that has been installed for people in the communities north of the closure to cross the Carrabassett River, according to Nichols.

If LifeFlight is unable to respond, the footbridge will be used to take patients to ambulances waiting on the other side to avoid detours heading south on Route 27, which extend the drive to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington, Robie said.

Nichols said Thursday that emergency services are OK. "We're responding to everything," he said.

David Robinson -- 861-9287

drobinson@centralmaine.com